Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Gaethje talks about fighting the undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov
Top lightweight contender Justin Gaethje notched his third straight win on Saturday night by stopping Donald Cerrone in the first round. With all of his UFC fights earning a bonus, “The Highlight” wants nothing else but a UFC title fight next.
So when the media asked him how thinks he fares against current 155-pound champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Gaethje was candid about his response.
“No idea. I don’t know,” he said during the post-fight presser. “He probably beats me if you put it on paper, but I hit so hard, I kick so hard and I’m so athletic.”
Gaethje himself has a deep wrestling background, being an NCAA Division I competitor. If he does face “The Eagle”, he already knows how to approach it.
“The way you stop a takedown in wrestling is to meet force with force. You don’t try to go away,” he explained.
“I won’t touch the cage. If he’s gonna take me down it’s gonna be in the middle, and he’s gonna get his leg kicked a few times before he even gets a shot off.”
After UFC Vancouver, Gaethje improved to a record of 21-2 (with 19 wins by stoppage).